Take courage...

Just down the road from me is the village of Olney where John Newton served as minister for a substantial part of his life. A little less well known is William Cowper, a man who was often found in the teeth of depression. John cared for William, even moving him into his house for long periods of time. 

John encouraged his friend to write hymns with him which would not only help to communicate biblical truth to his congregation, but also as a way of helping William totake a small step out of the darkness that seemed to torment his soul.

Below is a post which appeared on Desiring God about William and one of his famous hymns, God moves in a mysterious way!

New Year’s Day, 1773, marked a decade since depression nearly snatched away William Cowper’s life. 

 The mental agony tortured him so severely ten winters prior that he was locked up in St. Alban’s insane asylum after a botched suicide attempt. While there, he stumbled upon a Bible that the asylum’s Christian director had strategically left open. His eyes fell upon Romans 3:23–26, and the glory of Jesus Christ chased the shadows from his soul. 

 But by the beginning of 1773, successive blows had left Cowper staggering. His brother died in 1770, followed by two of his cousins the following year. In 1772, neighbors’ whispers suggested that Cowper’s relationship with his landlady was something short of innocent. The grief and the slander soon gathered into clouds too dark for his sanity. And so, as Cowper walked through the fields after church 246 years ago today, Cowper “was struck by a terrible premonition that the curse of madness was about to fall on him again” (John Newton, 217). 

 But before night fell on Cowper’s soul, he sat in the light of his remaining sanity, took up his pen, and wrote a hymn that has strengthened generations of staggering saints through their various shadows. Take Courage Cowper’s hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” is a song for every saint who sits on the edge. It is a guide for all who do not see fresh hopes rising over the horizon of the new year. It is a confession of faith in the face of darkness — one that flickers with enough light to carry us through whatever midnights this year brings. 

 At the heart of the hymn is a simple exhortation: “Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take.” Take courage. Take courage when the clouds come thundering toward you. Take courage when the coming days seem covered in shadow. Take courage when you cannot understand God’s ways. But why, we ask in the valley, should we take courage? Throughout the rest of the hymn, Cowper gives his reasons.

Take courage and read on

In the Sweet by and by

Today I took delivery of a new old book through Amazon, Great Hymns and their Stories by W J Limmer Sheppard, first published in 1923.

The book fell open at page 123 and the first lines I read were:

In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.

I could hardly believe it. This old hymn was the favourite hymn of my grandad, William W Whyte D.S.M.. His enjoyment was even greater when the music was played by the Cairnbulg Walk Band of flutes and drums. I can still remember the smile on his face when one New Years Day the band stopped outside his house to give him a "stonnin beat."

To the uninitiated each New Years Day a flute band lead a few hardy followers around the village of Cairnbulg in the North East of Scotland. They would stop at the houses of people who were ill and played a song of their choice.

Here is the story behind the hymn and its completion from idea to singing in 30 minutes.

"In the village of Elkhorn, in Wisconsin, USA, lived a musician and composer, Mr J P Webster. Of an extremely sensitive nature, he was frequently attacked by fits of melancholy and depression. One of his friends, Mr S F Bennett, who resided in the same village, found that these moods could often be dispelled by giving the musician a new hymn or song which needed music written for it.

On one such occasion, Mr Bennett was sitting writing in his office, when Webster entered and walked to the fire, turning his back upon his friend without a word.

Bennett asked him what was the matter, and only received a curt and indefinite reply to the effect that "it would be all right in the by and by."

Instantly the last three words of Webster's answer flashed the idea of a hymn into Bennett's mind.

"The sweet by and by!" he said; "would not that make a good hymn?"

Webster answered in an uninterested tone that "it might," but Bennett, turning to his desk, wrote down, as fast as his pen could cover the paper, the first three verses and chorus of the world-famous hymn, best known by its title. When finished he handed the manuscript to Webster.

The musician's interest was awakened, his whole aspect changed; turning to the desk, he began, equally rapidly, to compose a melody for the stirring words. He then requested one of two other friends, who had come in, to lend him his violin, on which he played over the new melody.

Once more he turned to the desk and wrote down the harmonies for the four parts of the chorus. Within thirty minutes from the time Mr Bennett wrote the first line, the four friends were singing the hymn as it was afterwards published.

During the singing a fifth friend entered, and, after listening, exclaimed with tears in his eyes, "that hymn is immortal!"

A true prophecy, for the world, will never forget the touching lines and music thus rapidly put together in the little American village over 50 years ago (1868)."

- W J Limmer Sheppard.

There's a land that is fairer than day,
and by faith we can see it afar;
for the Father waits over the way
to prepare us a dwelling place there.

In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.
In the sweet by and by,
we shall meet on that beautiful shore.

We shall sing on that beautiful shore
the melodious songs of the blest;
and our spirits shall sorrow no more,
not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

To our bountiful Father above
we will offer our tribute of praise
for the glorious gift of his love
and the blessings that hallow our days.

A Debtor to mercy alone

A debtor to mercy alone,
of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on,
my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
with me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s obedience and blood
hide all my transgressions from view.

The work which His goodness began,
the arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
and never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo,
or sever my soul from His love.

My name from the palms of His hands
eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains,
 in marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
as sure as the earnest is giv’n;
More happy, but not more secure,
the glorified spirits in Heav’n.

- Au­gus­tus M. Top­la­dy 1771

Now that is a hymn full of truth that lifts my heart in love and sheer joy towards my God. Thank you Michael Tait for reminding me of it last night!